Breaking! : New SWA regulations that will change the whisky scene (for the better)

Finally, the SWA is doing something we all have been waiting for (at least us, hard-core whisky geeks), and thus changing the whisky scene, for the better. If you have been following this blog (and some others) you must have noticed i am always advocating higher ABV% for whiskies, No chill filtration, and no colouring, right? So I was really  excited when I was tipped the essence of a few new regulations originating from the SWA after they have been getting a lot of such requests by email, fax etc. from whisky fans throughout the globe. here are the main points that I find the most important in this batch of updates to the regulations:

1. 1.All Scotch whiskies are to be bottled at at least 46% ABV, from the cheapest blends to older single malts, 46% is the bottom ABV, and from there, the sky is the limit.
2. Single Cask whiskies will be bottled at cask strength, without any possibility of dilution, in order to create the true experience a single cask can offer. No more watered down single cask bottlings of 40%,46%, but TRUE CASK STRENGTH. If you want to bottle it, then do it right .
3. The use of Carmel colouring in Single malts is prohibited. Blended whiskies can still use Caramel to colour their spirit.
4. Single malts should be Non Chill filtered, to be called single malts( while blended whiskies can still be chill filtered).
5. Finishes – Any single malt whisky can be “finished” in only one type of additional cask, in addition to the original cask it spent its life in. Thus, a single malt can not be finished in sherry cask then port cask, but only in one of them (per the choice of the bottler/distiller). This will eliminate excessive use and abuse of casks to hide blemishes in the spirit, or to create confusing labels most whisky drinkers are having issues with.

All in all an impressive set of new regulations, we shall all benefit from. I wish they had come earlier, but still, This is the beginning of a new era of more interesting bottlings, richer flavours, and whisky as it was meant to be. No more boring 40% bottlings, and a lot less colouring in premium malts. Good work.

These regulations are effective, immediately from this morning. It will be really interesting seeing which distilleries / bottlers will be the first to release whiskies in 2013 that will adhere to these laws. Exciting times, surely.

Happy Dramming!

btw: this post was written as a part of April fool’s 😉